Nigeria Play Russia, And The Squad Has A Surprise In It
Abuja · Sunday 13 September 2026
Eric Chelle has named a Super Eagles squad for the AFCON qualifiers and a friendly against Russia, with at least one selection that was not expected. The Russian pundit Alexander Bubnov, a former Soviet international, has made a confident prediction about how Russia will handle Nigeria.
What a friendly against Russia is for
Russia has been outside UEFA and FIFA competition for years, which means its national team plays friendlies against whoever will agree to one. For Nigeria the fixture is minutes, a chance to look at players outside the qualifiers, and a fee. For Russia it is a rare opponent of genuine international standing.
Chelle's actual problem
| The constraint | Why it bites |
|---|---|
| Forwards who start for their clubs | Thin, and has been all year |
| Fitness after a long club week | Friendlies are where injuries happen |
| Qualification still to secure | The friendly is not the priority |
A surprise call-up in this window is usually a solution to the first row.
The safest thing a manager can do with a friendly is treat it as a training session. The pressure to treat it as a statement comes from everywhere else.
What to watch
Who starts, and who does not travel at all. The qualifiers are the real assignment, and the players Chelle protects will tell you more about his first-choice eleven than anything he says in a press conference. Bubnov's confidence is a pundit's job. The team sheet is the evidence.
Reporting: PM News Nigeria, Soccernet.ng and AllNigeriaSoccer.
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